Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A couple of you asked about how we made our Earthquake kit so I figured I might as well send this to all of my peeps in "Earthquake Country". We made our kit using the list below and got a majority of these items at the 99 cent store - I marked them in RED to make your 99 shopping trip easier.

What to include in your Earthquake Kit

Non-perishable food items such as ready-to-eat items in unbreakable containers, canned meats, juice, fruits and vegetables, powdered milk, pet care, infant care, crackers, peanut butter, freeze-dried and dehydrated goods and high calorie power bars with a long shelf life.

Bottled water (they recommend a minimum of 1-gallon per person per day)

Battery-powered radio (small walkman radios can be found in the hardware isle)

First aid kit and manual (we made our own kit using stuff from the meds isle)

Sleeping bags and wool/thermal blankets

Manual can opener

Glow sticks (found these in the toy isle)

Flashlight and spare batteries

Water purification tablets

Utility knife (found in the kitchen utensil isle)

Emergency candles and matches (only use away from areas where there could be a potential gas leak)

Dust masks (found 10-packs of these in the hardware isle)

Essential medications

A print-out of everyone's telephone # in case of power outage where you can't charge your cell phone to look-up #'s

Extra pair of prescription glasses

Extra clothing and a pair of sturdy shoes

Additional Sanitation Items

Plastic bucket or trash can with tight fitting lid

Plastic bags and ties - these can double as tarps and rain ponchos

Waterless hand sanitizer

Wet wipes or baby wipes for waterless bathing

Paper cups and plates

Personal toiletries and hygiene products

Baby/infant supplies (maybe? We got baby wipes, so it's possible)

Aluminum foil

Paper towels

Plastic utensils

Soap

Work gloves

Think about your pets

Families also need to provide for the care of pets during emergencies by making sure there is sufficient dry pet food kept in tightly sealed containers, having a large capacity self-feeder for food and one for water, as well as extra medications.

Important Documents

Preparations for emergencies should also include secured but accessible copies of social security cards, driver/I.D., marriage licenses, home mortgage, property and vehicle ownership papers, insurance documents, wills, jewelry or other appraisals, birth certificates, bank account information and any other document that may be needed following a catastrophic event.

How to store your Earthquake Kit

Emergency supplies can be stored in a large, clean trash can with a cover (this is preferred since it can double as a toilet), plastic storage container, suitcase, duffle bag, backpack, etc.As you can see, a majority of your kit can be purchased at the 99 or supplied with items you already have. Our kit for 2 people cost about $20-25 to make - waaaaay cheaper than buying one online.